GM-Trucks.com can exclusively confirm that Chevrolet’s C8 Corvette will soon get the option of electric all-wheel-drive (eAWD).
Sure we’re a truck website but first and foremost we’re car enthusiasts. That’s why we were also the first to publish the C8 Corvette’s startup animation last year. Now in 2020, we’re the first to bring you news of an earth shattering feature that will be an option on the C8 Corvette in the near future.
GM-Trucks.com has exclusively reviewed and validated documentation that indicates the 2023 or 2024 Chevrolet Corvette will have optional electric all-wheel-drive.
The Corvette Will Get eAWD
The documents we were able to look at indicate the feature will be called “eAWD” and available on the Stingray and Convertible models. We can also confirm that eAWD will carry the RPO code “XFD” for one model year before switching to “XRD”.
The documents also indicate the feature may be coming for model year 2023, however take this detail with a grain of salt. Recently General Motors has been forced to move development of certain vehicles and features back by a whole model year. In reality we may not see electric all wheel drive until 2024.
In theory, a Corvette with eAWD would be a hybrid. That’s not how Chevy will market it. The feature will most certainly be performance oriented. Expect one or two electric motors positioned in the front wheels and a battery to be placed in the “frunk”.
The addition of electric propulsion in the Corvette fits neatly with the recent news that future Corvette Engineering has been folded into the EV & Autonomous Program At General Motors.
Chevrolet pairing the Corvette with an electric motor and battery pack would be a earth shattering move but is not at all surprising.
“Silent” Corvette Sightings
Sightings of an “silent Corvette” have been reported in various locations around Detroit and Milford, Michigan by automotive journalists and enthusiasts over the past few months. Detroit News has even reported how a Joe Biden campaign spot may have leaked the news of an all electric Corvette.
We’re unsure how eAWD fits into an all electric C8 Corvette. It’s entirely possible the eAWD Corvette could move independently of the rear wheels and V8 engine… and in theory travel silently. They could be different cars entirely…or the same feature described by many people.
More eAWD models to come?
Further adding intrigue, the documents we reviewed point towards two additional vehicles getting the feature at the same time as the Corvette Stingray and Convertible. More on that to come another day.
It’s easy to assume GM’s Ultium Battery system will power any future electric or hybrid Corvette. The bet, however, will be if an eAWD Corvette will come with a plug-in cord.
Electric Four Wheel Drive On A Silverado
The implementation of eAWD on a sports car also raises the intriguing idea of electric four wheel drive in a Silverado or Sierra. Could adapting this technology to a new breed of hybrid Silverado be our reality soon? We’re going to find out shortly.
Stay tuned to GM-Trucks.com for more news on the future eAWD Corvette and how it relates to the Silverado, Sierra and other pickups.
